The Best and Worst Times to Fog Your Yard

A fogger is a device that repels or kills insects. These devices are mostly used to combat mosquitoes in backyards, gardens, patios, and other areas.

First, you’ll need to find the areas around your house where the mosquitoes are living. The next step is to choose the most effective time for fogging. There are few important things to note about when it’s best to fog and when you should avoid fogging, for safety or efficiency reasons. We’ll go into those reasons below.

When Is the Best Time to Fog?

The best time to fog is when mosquito activity is at its highest. Most mosquitoes are active in the evenings and only a few species are active during the day.

In general, mosquitoes prefer to avoid sunlight and look for shady areas to hide during the day. That’s why the best time for fogging is in the early morning or the evening around dusk. Most fogging is done during the evening for the following reasons:

• In the evening hours, around dusk, the temperature has lowered. Most of the time, the temperature closer to the ground is going to be higher than that in the air. This will allow the fog from the fogger to settle on the ground more easily. Therefore, the fog will stay in the area for a longer amount of time.
• At this time of day, the wind has usually died down, which is very important for a successful fogging session.
• Most good insects like butterflies and bees are active during the day while their activity will have ended before dusk. So, fogging at this time won’t cause as much harm to these good species. This is great since most insecticides will kill not only mosquitoes but also other small bugs and insects that may be beneficial to the area.

The Effects of Wind on Fogging

It is also important to fog in low wind conditions, while windless conditions would be ideal. Low wind conditions are vital for a successful fogging season because of the size of the fog particles themselves. They are so small that a tiny gust of wind can easily move them.

Having low or no wind will allow the fog to stay in the fogged area for a longer period of time. This will result in more mosquitoes affected by the chemicals and will also repel the mosquitoes from the area for longer.

For example, if you fog a bush in windy conditions, the fog will immediately be blown away from the bush. This will leave only a small number of particles behind to settle in that area. This is why fogging in low wind or windless conditions is vital for achieving fogging success and for exterminating the majority of mosquitoes in an area.

When Is It a Bad Time to Fog?

There also some times when you absolutely shouldn’t use a fogger. As we mentioned above, fogging in windy conditions is not recommended. Fogging in a very strong wind, on the other hand, should absolutely be avoided for the following reasons:

1. Fogging in a strong wind makes the fogging process ineffective. The insecticide particles won’t be able to reach the area you want to fog. The wind will blow the particles away immediately after they exit the nozzle of the fogger. If you fog in high wind, you’ll be more likely to waste a large amount of insecticide than make a visible impact on the mosquito population in the area you’re treating.
2. Strong gusts of wind can make fogging uncontrollable and can blow the fog into areas you didn’t plan on fogging. This could be harmful – not only to plants and good insects – but also to children, pets, and even yourself.

Keep Safe While Fogging

Most insecticides contain chemicals which can be bad for your skin. When fogging, remember to protect your skin to keep the fog from getting on it.

Also, if you are fogging in low wind, fog in the direction of the wind. Don’t stand in the crosswind or all the fog will get blown back towards you. Using a fogger in very high temperatures is also not recommended.